AERIAL: Etten Island: one of Truk major airbase lies well patched from raids; a new wave of 7th AAF Liberators seek it out again.

AERIAL: Truk Atoll, still formidable Japanese Central Pacific Bastion. It was taken from one of the 7th Air Force Consolidated B-24 Liberators attacking the airbases at Eten, Param, and Moen, and the naval and sea-plane bases on Dublon Island. Flak from dozens of island batteries and the gunfire and phosphorous bombs of vigorous Zeke interceptors make the 25 miles of bomb run over Truk one of the most hazardous of any in the Central Pacific. 7th Air Force B-24s keep it reduced as a flanking threat to our westward drive to the Marianas.

AERIAL: Headquarters for the Japanese bastion of Truk was Dublon Island. Flanked by two excellent channels for fleet and merchant ship anchorages and protected by its sister island airstrip on Eten (lower right), it carried naval installations, a submarine base, repair and industrial areas for the maintenance of Truk’s forces and equipment, a seaplane base, government headquarters for the group and a total of 1,200 buildings of various types. Its tank reservoirs were planned for 60,000 tons of fuel.

AIRPLANES: Over Truk’s barrier reef and into the heart of the still formidable Japanese bastion, roar two Consolidated B-‘s of a 7th AF formation which is a part of the force keeping the great Japanese base neutralized and helpless against our westward advances.

BOMBING: Dublon town is flattened, docks are burned, tank farm a shell as a result of the continuous bombing of the 7th AAF. Even as this ghost town lies a wreck, more neutralizing bomb strike gun emplacements and the few buildings left standing.

BOMBING: Dublon Island – Bombs are being showered upon the seaplane base, and the south center of the island. Fifty-two hit upon land, and a train can be seen across the south central shore installations. Smoke obscures a direct hit on the south pier.

BOMBING: Panorama of Truk Island Caroline Group with ships burning, is shown on 16 February 1944. The toll included 127 enemy planes destroyed in air and 74 on surface out of 272 observed, also barracks, fuel and ammunition.

BOMBING: Eight 500-pound bombs from the famous 7th Air Force B-24 Liberator, “The Kansas Cyclone” drop heavily toward Truk. The great barrier reef which makes the atoll moated fortress is seen across the center of the picture. The black puff at the bomber’s tail is ack-ack from still active Japanese batteries. Truk is still no cinch for a crewman’s money.

BOMBING: Plasterings of 7th AAF bombs begin to rain on Moen strip number one and its seaplane facilities. One string of bombs begin at upper right in the aircraft revetment area and gun emplacements and continues down across the strip. Another string cuts a patch across the seaplane facilities at the water’s edge.

BOMBING: Dublon town in the Caroline Islands, after an almost complete obliteration of its military headquarters, supply buildings and dockside installations by the bombing strikes by the 7th AAF bombers.